St. Philip's Castle facts for kids
St. Philip's Castle (also known as Fort St. Philip) was an important fortress. It guarded the entrance to the port of Mahón on the island of Menorca. You can find it in the town of Es Castell.
The British rebuilt this castle in the 1760s. It was built around an older Spanish fort, which started around 1554. The castle is famous for two times when the British tried to defend it but couldn't. These were during the Siege of Fort St Philip (1756) and the Invasion of Minorca, 1781. After the second event, parts of the castle were torn down.
A Guiding Light: Sant Carles Lighthouse
The area around Fort St. Philip was perfect for a lighthouse. It had a great view of the entrance to Mahón harbour. So, in 1852, a lighthouse was built on Sant Carles point.
The first lighthouse had a 16-meter stone tower. It rose from a small house. But there was a problem: the lighthouse was in the way of the castle's military firing range!
The lighthouse keepers were always warned when the army would practice shooting. But they complained that the shells damaged the building. It also scared their families. This problem continued for many years.
Finally, in 1912, the lighthouse was closed. A new, special light replaced it. This new light was on a metal arm called a davit. It could be lowered during firing practice. At other times, it was raised to shine for about 9.5 nautical miles.
In the 1970s, the moveable light was replaced again. A new light was placed on a 15-meter tall concrete tower. This tower was painted with black and white stripes. It could shine even further, up to 13 nautical miles.
The old lighthouse building was finally taken down in 1917. Some of its parts were used to build the new Favàritx Lighthouse.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de San Felipe (Menorca) para niños
